September 2, 2015: Grades and Transcripts

Weekly College Update

Dear Senior Huskies, Snow Leopards, Bulldogs, and Thunderbirds,

What is the number one factor in college admissions decisions? I’ll give you a hint. It’s not your test scores, essays, or letters of recommendation, even though those are all important. It’s your grades!

According to the National Association for College Admission Counseling, a student’s high school grades and coursework are more likely to be ranked of “considerable importance” than other parts of the application by the majority of colleges. As a Summit student, you are taking four years of the rigorous college-prep courses that admissions counselors value. Your job is to make sure that you have the best grades possible in those courses to reflect your effort and hard work.

This week’s college priority is grades and transcripts.

In Community Time, you’re going to be reviewing your transcript before it gets sent to colleges this fall. Some of you did this last Friday and others will be doing it soon. Please review carefully! This is your chance to make sure that everything is accurate. If something looks wrong or your transcript is missing information, talk to your mentor right away. If you have any incomplete grades on your transcript, make a plan with your mentor and work urgently toward clearing them as soon as possible. Your grades are the number one factor in your admissions decisions—make sure they are as strong as they can possibly be!

Questbridge National College MatchThe QuestBridge National College Match is a college and scholarship application process that helps outstanding low-income high school seniors gain admission and full four-year scholarships to the nation's most selective colleges. Applications are due September 28th.

Susan Steelman Bragato ScholarshipWho can apply: High school seniors graduating from a California Charter Schools Association member school (like Summit!) and demonstrating financial need.Amount of the award: $2,000Information/Application: http://charterconference.org/2016/awards/ssbscholarship.phpDeadline: October 9, 2015

Coca-Cola ScholarshipWho can apply: High school seniors with 3.0 GPA or higherAmount of the award: $20,000Information/Application: http://www.coca-colascholars.org/Deadline: October 31, 2015

Free College Visit Programs

Collegiate Leadership Summit at Franklin and Marshall CollegeThis is a two day program where students are flown in from across the country to participate in a leadership experience at Franklin and Marshall College in Pennsylvania. Sessions for high school seniors are offered in September and November. If you're interested, ask your mentor to nominate you here: http://www.fandm.edu/summit

Smith College Women of DistinctionThis is a program for high school seniors that highlights the opportunities at Smith for African American, Latina, Asian American, and Native American students. Admission is competitive. Smith will provide round-trip transportation, meals, and accommodations for all participants. To apply go towww.smith.edu/admission/wod

All Access Free Online College Fair

Do you have questions for college admissions counselors? Here's your chance to ask the experts! From 7am-7pm on Thursday, September 10th, you can live chat with representatives from over 100 colleges and universities across the country. Find out more about their schools, ask questions about your application, and more. Plus, if you virtually visit at least five different colleges, you get entered into a drawing to win a $5,000 scholarship. Find out more here: http://www.collegeweeklive.com/event-schedule/all-access-september-2015

College Newsletter "Quiz" Winner!

Congratulations to Daniel Gonzalez (Summit Tahoma) for winning the first college newsletter quiz drawing! Daniel will get a college logo t-shirt from the school of his choice. Look for more quizzes and opportunities to win prizes in future newsletters.